The use of transformative and extended responses in conducting sales work in product demonstration workshops

Abstract

The article investigates sales interaction in the work of a photographic artist who provides art-based training services for workplaces. The data come from a product demonstration workshop where the artist presents a photographic method to prospective customers to raise their interest in the service product. By employing conversation analysis, the article analyzes how the artist conducts sales work while responding to the workshop participants’ questions. The results show how the artist uses transformative and extended responses to adjust the question posed to her and resist the terms it creates, highlighting the customizability of her service product and drawing attention to its merits. The article contributes to previous research on sales interaction by shedding light on the interactional practices of sales work in a new kind of work situation as well as focusing on the use of transformative responses that have not been previously studied as part of the sales encounter.